That Didn't Take Long

The Bucyrus name has been eliminated. And eliminated quickly.

The acquisition of Bucyrus by Caterpillar officially closed on Friday, and as part of the deal, the Bucyrus name was scrapped. As the Milwaukee Business Journal reports, company officials wanted "a single brand for our mining customers."

But the speed in which the Bucyrus brand was removed was stunning. Signs were replaced mere hours after the sale closed, including at the company's administrative offices in Oak Creek. By the time the weekend was over, one would barely know Bucyrus existed at all.

For Oak Creek, Bucyrus' time here didn't last long. The company announced it would move its headquarters into the former Midwest Airlines Corporate Center, 6744 S. Howell Ave., into the city a little more than a year ago. 

But for others, especially the South Milwaukee community, the change is more drastic. Erik Brooks at South Milwaukee Blog has much more, arguing that a transformation that quickly causes unnecessary pain for communities, employees and retirees.